40s Male Survives Alone After Suicide Attempt Sentenced to Prison

Jeju District Court / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Joo-hee] A man in his 40s who survived alone after leading an extreme suicide attempt was sentenced to prison.

The Jeju District Court's 2nd Criminal Division (Chief Judge Jang Chan-su) announced on the 14th that it sentenced Mr. A, who was indicted on charges of assisting suicide and theft, to two years in prison.

The court stated the sentencing rationale, saying, "The defendant's crime caused a serious outcome of precious lives being lost," but also considered "the defendant's admission of guilt, remorse, and belated expression of will to live."

Mr. A was detained on suspicion of attempting an extreme act together with three others recruited via social networking services (SNS) at a pension in Yongdam-dong, Jeju City, on July 14 last year.

While the other three died, Mr. A was rushed to the hospital by 119 emergency responders after the pension owner reported the incident, and survived.

It was confirmed that Mr. A proactively posted messages on SNS conspiring the extreme suicide attempt.

In addition to the assisted suicide case, Mr. A is also charged with stealing valuables worth approximately 13.9 million won, including a bag and 8.75 million won in cash, over nine occasions since September 2018.

※ If you are experiencing difficult feelings such as depression and need professional help, you can receive 24-hour counseling at suicide prevention hotlines 1577-0199, suicide prevention counseling 1393, Hope Phone 129, Lifeline 1588-9191, and Youth Phone 1388.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.